28-year-old Patricia Sue-Lin Knudsen or widely known as Patricia K has always been on the go. She was born in Hong Kong, lived in Japan for three years and went to an International school for seven years in Hong Kong. In 2008, she decided to move to Malaysia to get more in touch with her roots. Later she felt in love with the place and eventually she decided to stay here.

Most people probably have known Patricia through her appearances in various print advertisements and marketing campaigns. Being a DJ, TV Host and Model, Patricia shared that she never thought of modeling or doing anything that she is currently doing.

“I actually wanted to study and I wanted to become a vet, and at one point I was thinking about psychology. I still don’t consider myself a model, but I remember when someone did stop me 7 years ago in a mall to do an ad for a campaign—that was fun and nerve-wrecking,” Patricia described.

Image Credit: Patricia K Facebook

In 2012, FHM named her as Malaysia’s Most Wanted Woman in 2012. With her Danish and Chinese descent, it is undeniable that Patricia is attractive. But her looks is not only the central point.

When we heard Patricia was recently appointed as brand ambassador of KFit, a fitness class sharing platform and application, we knew we had to get the scoop straight from the Fitspiration herself. After we did some sleuthing, we also found out that she is also an Xtend Barre Instructor, a full body workout that combines pilates and ballet.

Image Credit: @patriciaknudsen

What motivates you to keep working out?

I get motivated by other girls and reading up on what is good for me and my future. Working out makes me feel more confident and much happier. Especially in the line of work that I do, I need to have that boost of extra confidence or I would be nervous 24/7! I get motivation by seeing someone that has ripped abs by the way, I mean come on, who doesn’t want that?

What inspired you to pick up Xtend Barre?

Actually I did not know anything about Xtend Barre until Wai Fun who is the owner of Urban Spring Bangsar called me. She asked if I would be interested. I read up about the workout and loved the whole idea and description of what it was.

I went to take the course without knowing what to expect. I tried one class before and I felt in love. It was a 1-week course with 8-9 hours a day with an amazing intense instructor, Mrs Anna Serafinas who flew down from Hong Kong. She was such an inspiring instructor that it made me really want to get to where she was at.

It was harder than I thought though to teach. It is really something you still have to study and practice even though it seems easy. It is also about musicality, so luckily for me I have an interest for music too. We recorded our Masterclass and sent it in and luckily I passed. This was a proud accomplishment for me.

Image Credit: Patricia K

What is the hardest part of the process of becoming a certified Xtend Barre instructor?

The hardest part is combining everything. I am not a ballet dancer or the most flexible because I have done and am doing a lot of explosive sports that can make me quite tight but this has made me push myself to foreign areas of a workout that I have not tried before.

We also have to remember all the different names and techniques for the workout and also know why we are making students do this. It is like choreography at times, with the music, you need to know how to also be on time with the beat and know how to manage a class and see where everyone is at, yet push their limits and make them go to their challenge zone. We can always become better at what we do, and I can’t wait to progress in Xtend Barre. So much more to learn and to accomplish.

Can you give me three reasons why people should take Xtend Barre classes?

Image Credit: LifestyleAsia

Toned and lean body, fun, and challenging. There are many elements in Xtend Barre as well with lots of variety. Dumbbells, the barre, yoga straps, ball, band, you might hate me throughout the workout but you will love yourself after 😉

As the host of GOASEAN you travel pretty often. Any tips to eat healthy while traveling?

Oh that is the golden question; it is so difficult because we end up going places that we won’t have a choice to what we are served or what we can eat. Random villages won’t have some urban vegan café with healthy choices. My tip would be to pack nuts, packs of healthy grains, things that you can put into your drink to boost and feed your immune system and what your body needs.

Image Credit: Patricia K Facebook

Do you use any apps to help you work out?

Yes, KFIT and NTC (Nike Training Club).

KFIT is a real good app because it has such a huge variety of workouts and locations that you can choose from and RM99 a month is nothing! Imagine if you are a yoga lover, but yet you want to do something a little more challenging the next day? It is easy to book and super cool because you can also book 1 hour before or even cancel. Right by your fingertips, there are no more excuses.

Image Credit: http://www.nike.com

Nike Training Club is awesome because you can use the app and create a whole workout plan depending on your end goal. It will then create a monthly program also with the days you need a break, then you can do it anywhere because you just follow the workouts that it gives you.

Change into your workout clothes, go into the app and start the workout that day and just follow the instructions and the beep sound because it will count you down. You can do it at home in an open space or outside, anywhere. How easy is that? Great workouts and variety too!

Plus I love the fact that if you skip the workout that day, it will just blank it out and it will show that you didn’t do it in that plan (which makes me feel guilty)—motivation? YES!

Image Credit: @patriciak

Do you read any health portals or follow any social media platforms for fitness inspiration?

Yes, PurelyB is one of the newer and inspiring platforms. I love the whole concept and look of their website. I am doing this 21-day food delivery at the moment. I love their choices of food. I have it for lunch and then there is a dinner, plus it tells you how many calories that there is in the food. It’s fresh and tasty.

You can go to the website and find recipes to cook your own healthy food at home and you will start to find out that it is actually not that hard to do yourself. Other than that I do follow a lot of Instagram pages and forums. I read articles online and in magazines to get tips and tricks. It helps to suddenly spark ideas and motivation.

Did you ever feel not confident about your body before?

YES—my whole entire life and even till this day. I used to be so so so insecure. I still am but I am learning how to tackle these feelings and try to find a way to feel better about myself and stop comparing myself to other girls.

Image Credit: Patricia K Facebook

I gained so much weight when I came to Malaysia and then I lost lots of weight. Then I found out working out is what made me feel good whether I am skinny or fat. I love food, so it is super hard for me at times to control myself. I think most people wouldn’t believe that I am insecure because I do shoots that show my body, but trust me, on the shoot itself, I am so nervous. I have just learnt how to hide it through my photos.

What are your tips and tricks to a camera-ready body?

Workout before so that you feel better. I always feel skinnier after I have done a workout even though it is the same clothes that I wore before that and felt fat. Remember to moisturise and to take care of your skin and hair. I use Purelogy for my hair—it is 100% vegan and I can feel a huge difference using these products compared to others. I use serum and lotions for my skin such as Kiehls, Biotherm, Shu Uemura, Peter Thomas Roth, Kate Somerville, Sulwashoo. I like trying out new products to see the results and so far these have worked for me.

A KFIT membership is RM49 for the first month and RM99 for the next consecutive months. To get an additional RM10 off the first month and pay only RM39, use this promo code when signing up: VULCAN. This promo code expires 30th of November.